Twin Duty
by Solnac Relishan
Summary: Takes place after FFX-2. The New Yevon Praetor and the Ronso Elder meet to talk peace and get more than the other bargained for.
1. 1 A Boring Trip and a New Hope

Twin Duty  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Baralai tried not to be bored. The fact of the matter is, this trip was boring.  
  
After the girls had defeated Vegnagun, there hadn't been much conflict left   
  
to speak of. Granted, the Youth League and his faction, New Yevon, had been  
  
still squabbling, (he still remembered the speech he had to deliver in Kilika in  
  
a few weeks,) it had been a quiet affair for the most part.  
  
People ridicule me because I have faith, he thought idly. Faith and duty for   
  
what one needs to do. It had been his utmost thought during his carriage   
  
ride through Spira, the reason he went on his diplomatic mission. He still   
  
didn't quite get what was so important about the Ronso anyway, but he was  
  
determined to understand by the end of this week. What did one of my   
  
advisers call them? Big man cats, I think it was. As insulting and racist as  
  
it was, he smiled at the thought, and wondered idly if this Kimahri would be  
  
receptive to a scratch behind the ears. He would negotate a new truce that Spira  
  
sorely needed with these warriors, and maybe a truce with the Youth League  
  
when they realized that with the Ronso behind them, perhaps New Yevon   
  
had the best vision after all.   
  
If the carriage ride didn't put him to sleep, that is.  
  
* * * *   
  
Kimarhi wanted to smack Garik silly. Ever since Yuna beat Garik, Kimarhi thought,   
  
Garik act like small cub who lost candy. Kimarhi let his hand tighten on his spear,   
  
listening to the other Ronso get to the point.  
  
"Kimarhi weak," Garik snarled for what was perhaps the third time in the hour.   
  
"Elder let human come to land, to take land. Elder foolish. Kimarhi fool."  
  
"Ronso have no place to hide," Kimarhi countered, snarling at last. Kimarhi may  
  
have patience, he thought, but this is beyond Elder duty. "Kimahri pay attention  
  
to Spira. More travellers come by day when fiends are not so big numbers.   
  
Sphere hunters, too. If Ronso be strong, Ronso look outside of mountain.   
  
Garik bitter since Yuna beat Garik, stop war with Guado."  
  
"Guado kill Ronso," Garik shouted, "We kill Guado!"  
  
"Guado dead soon either way," Kimahri said levelly, "and Kimahri will not see Ronso  
  
die same death. Leave Kimahri and growl to mountain about how unfair   
  
Kimahri is."  
  
Garik snarled, but Kimahri paid it no heed. To be honest, Kimahri didn't trust  
  
New Yevon messenger either, but they had wanted to meet, Elder to Elder. Kimahri  
  
knew it was the best chance for Ronso. He needed the Ronso as much as the Ronso  
  
needed him. Now was the time to act to preserve Ronso after Seymour almost destroyed  
  
them, and now was the time to see if New Yevon any better than old Yevon.  
  
* * * *  
  
"We're here," said the carriage master. "Right after the Calm Lands. Snowy after  
  
this point, mountainous too, hope you have your winter gear, Master Baralai."  
  
"Yevon thanks you," Baralai said, saluting. He heard, once more, the protest of  
  
his captain that rode alongside as he started on the trail.   
  
No escort would be necessary for this trip, he planned to meet the elder of the Ronso warrior to warrior, and to scale the mountain like High Summoner Yuna did.  
  
He was grateful for his coat as the temperature seemed to drop dozens of degrees  
  
as he went. He hummed the Hymn of the Faith softly under his breath, remembering  
  
his training to keep moving in cold areas like this, which included oftentimes, one's  
  
mouth.  
  
* * * *  
  
Kimahri listened as he waited on mountain. The spirits of the mountain, always  
  
there, always watching, the true patrons of Gagazet told him that the man from  
  
New Yevon was coming. And when he got there, Kimahri planned to be there  
  
to greet him. 


	2. 2 Kimahri's Challenge

Twin Duty, Chp 2  
  
Kimarhi met the praetor of New Yevon right where the Calm Lands met Mount   
  
Gagazet. Baralai bowed, performing the salute common to followers of Yevon.  
  
To his suprise, Kimahri imitated the hand gesture perfectly. "Kimahri elder, and  
  
greets you to Mount Gagazet," Kimahri said in that calm bass voice of his.   
  
"Kimahri remembers yet another member of Yevon showing the same politeness  
  
to High Summoner once. Kimahri hopes you do not follow in his footsteps."  
  
Ouch, thought Baralai. "It is refreshing to meet someone so honest, Elder Kimahri,"  
  
Baralai managed to say in a calm voice. "We mean no harm to the Ronso people."  
  
"Kimahri hear this before," the Elder Ronso said, a touch of sadness and anger in  
  
his voice. "Kimahri want to believe you, and you will have a chance to do so."  
  
Baralai found himself growing more and more impressed by Kimahri. He may   
  
seem slow with his way of speaking, but the Elder had yet to miss a trick. Kimahri  
  
was cautious and dutiful in his duty to his people, and Baralai had the uneasy   
  
feeling that the Ronso would make a horrible enemy if he ended up on the wrong  
  
side of any conflict with him. "What would you have me do?" Baralai asked   
  
respectfully. "New Yevon wishes to regain it's status as protector and help to all  
  
Spira."  
  
"Kimahri will take Baralai up Gagazet, climb mountain, hear voice of mountain,   
  
climb Scar of the Fayth," Kimahri said calmly, as if this was a travel iternary   
  
one did everyday.   
  
Baralai blinked. Gagazet was huge, and what Kimahri was proposing was akin  
  
to the summoner trials of the past generation. He was sure he didn't have the time  
  
for this. "I must respectfully decline, Elder Kimahri. I have other places upon which  
  
to go after I finish my diplomatic mission here--" Baralai was surprised Kimahri  
  
cut him off.  
  
"Baralai will climb mountain, or Kimahri must ask leave," Kimahri said with a   
  
touch of chill. "New Yevon words pretty, but does New Yevon's actions please  
  
as well?"  
  
Baralai sighed. It was his duty to negotate with the Ronso, and it was high   
  
priority. Spira had to be united, and the old structure was the best one to do  
  
so. Still, he wished Kimahri knew was he was asking. No, wait, he was pretty  
  
damn sure that the Ronso elder knew what he was asking. Kimahri was not  
  
dumb, not dumb at all. "I accept then, in the hope of proving that your harsh  
  
words against us are wrong," Baralai said. "We start now?"  
  
"Baralai and Kimahri start in the morning, winds too harsh now, blow Ronso  
  
and New Yevon off mountain. Enjoy rest." Kimahri lead him off to two other Ronso  
  
to attend to Baralai's needs, in a tent off the road, and a clean sleeping roll.   
  
Baralai noted that they were prepared for him, and was greatful for that. He ate  
  
well that night, and was asleep before he hit the pillow of the bed roll.  
  
* * * *   
  
Kimahri shook his head. He didn't trust New Yevon one bit, and Baralai,  
  
well, he could respect him as another warrior, but Baralai sounded like  
  
well fed politican. A leader leads, not stands on shoulders of others,   
  
Kimahri thought. It was easier when Kimahri was Yuna's guardian, he  
  
thought. Kimahri only had to follow orders.  
  
Kimahri curled up into a ball, and tried to hunt sleep. It was far after the moon  
  
had reached its zenith before he caught sleep. Or it caught him. 


End file.
